Musings on Life in Tehachapi

July 17, 2010

I was visiting friends in the San Francisco Bay Area recently and, not surprisingly, the subject of real estate came up. If you’ve been living under a rock, you may not be aware that Tehachapi and Kern County real estate values are not as high as they were a few years ago. Well, the same thing is true in the Bay area. Although Bay Area real estate is nowhere near as high as it was a few years ago, it’s still really high compared to Tehachapi and Kern County real estate.

Just in case you are wondering, local real estate prices have been stabilizing, and in some communities even increasing, here recently. That’s good news of course, but there’s even more good news to be had.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released their latest Occupational Employment and wages survey. The survey results are good for Kern County and, by extension, Tehachapi. The survey reports the average hourly wage nation-wide is $20.90 per hour in eight of the twenty-two major categories. The same survey identifies the average wage in Kern County at $20.40. Isn’t it nice to know that Kern County wages are so close to the national average?

Let’s take that one step further and bring it back around to real estate. I started off talking about how high the real estate prices are in the Bay area. Compare that to Tehachapi and Kern County real estate prices and we definitely have a bargain here. Add in the fact that the Kern County wages are so close to the national average and it reinforces what a great place this is to live!

Does the Kern County wage average surprise you? On the fence about investing in real estate? Share your thoughts below, or use the Contact page and phone, fax or email me with your thoughts and/pr questions.